Historic home overrun by zombies

A local filmmaker is shooting scenes for his latest horror movie at the Israel Brown House

Actresses Barbie Cowart shoots a scene during filming of scenes of Mosley's zombie movie What Tomorrow Brings at the Israel Brown House in historic district downtown Ocala, FL on Sunday November 3, 2013. The film, which is sequel to the Mosley's first zombie movie Only Another Day. The film is expected to premier near the end of the year.

Published: Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 8:35 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 8:35 p.m.

The Israel Brown House, one of the Tuscawilla Historic District's most important structures, is looking rather scary these days. The owner said there are two reasons for that: He has been consumed with work and not able to devote time to the house, and he deliberately allowed the property to become overgrown so a local filmmaker can use it as a set for a zombie movie.

Photo Galleries

“I think it kind of suits zombies,” Joseph Critchley, who owns the historic home, said with a chuckle. “I let it go for almost a month now so that they could use it. It's going to look more scary.”

Critchley bought the historic house at 119 NE Sanchez Ave. in November 2010 and said he battled with a bank to get a clear title to the property for 26 months.

“It took about two years to straighten out, but it's straightened out,” Critchley said. “The last six or seven months have been my fault. I suddenly got inundated with work.”

He said he had done some interior work and is ready to start working on the house again, but has to find out, because of the lengthy lag time waiting for the clear title, if he has to appear before the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board again for approval or if he can simply move forward with the work.

Near the end of last week, the yard was overgrown, the house exterior was looking neglected and there were signs posted in the windows authorizing police to arrest vagrants on the property. The unkept yard and deteriorating house with its Second Empire architecture, including the mansard roof, sometimes called a French roof, looked like something out of a horror movie.

And that is where Bronson Mosley enters the picture.

Mosley, who works in a local bar/restaurant, said Critchley came in one night and they began talking and Mosley mentioned his zombie project.

“He said he had this great place that allegedly is the scariest place in Ocala,” Mosley said. “He offered it to me. That's how it went down.”

Mosley, who grew up in Ocala, said he was familiar with the house. He said he understood that a mother and daughter had been murdered in the dwelling and their ghosts walked the house.

“Doing a horror scene there is kind of 'ugh,' ” Mosley said.

Nevertheless, that is exactly what he did. On Sunday, he began rolling film for the movie “What Tomorrow Brings” at the house. It is Mosley's second zombie film. The first was “Only Another Day,” which premiered at the Marion Theatre in Ocala's downtown. He is hoping to premiere this latest venture there as well.

Carmen Soto, who owns the theater with her husband, Cesar, said she would have to know what dates Mosley would like to premiere his film. If it does not conflict with her theater's calendar, it is something she definitely would consider.

“They don't have a venue as nice as the Marion Theatre to premiere in Marion County,” Soto said about local filmmakers. “We have had a few of them already.”

In the meantime, Critchley said he has arranged for the lawn to be cut this week.

The house has great historic value, having been built in 1885. It contributes to the Tuscawilla Historic District, which once encompassed a community of noted Jewish merchants and businessmen who became active in local and state politics.

According to city of Ocala records, in September 1886, local grocer Israel Brown purchased the lot with the house already constructed on it. Brown lived there with his wife Gertie, a relative of Julius Israel, until 1899, when he sold the property to Richard Wheeler for $1,300.

Julius Israel owned the property from 1893 and 1894. Israel came to Ocala from Philadelphia in 1881 and established the Ocala News Depot, a book store, news stand and office supply outlet in the Marion Block downtown. Israel was elected to the Ocala City Council in 1886 and three years later served as a director of the Ocala International and Semi-Tropical Exposition. During the mid-1880s, he was vice president of the United Hebrews of Ocala.

<p>The Israel Brown House, one of the Tuscawilla Historic District's most important structures, is looking rather scary these days. The owner said there are two reasons for that: He has been consumed with work and not able to devote time to the house, and he deliberately allowed the property to become overgrown so a local filmmaker can use it as a set for a zombie movie.</p><p>“I think it kind of suits zombies,” Joseph Critchley, who owns the historic home, said with a chuckle. “I let it go for almost a month now so that they could use it. It's going to look more scary.”</p><p>Critchley bought the historic house at 119 NE Sanchez Ave. in November 2010 and said he battled with a bank to get a clear title to the property for 26 months.</p><p>“It took about two years to straighten out, but it's straightened out,” Critchley said. “The last six or seven months have been my fault. I suddenly got inundated with work.”</p><p>He said he had done some interior work and is ready to start working on the house again, but has to find out, because of the lengthy lag time waiting for the clear title, if he has to appear before the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board again for approval or if he can simply move forward with the work.</p><p>Near the end of last week, the yard was overgrown, the house exterior was looking neglected and there were signs posted in the windows authorizing police to arrest vagrants on the property. The unkept yard and deteriorating house with its Second Empire architecture, including the mansard roof, sometimes called a French roof, looked like something out of a horror movie.</p><p>And that is where Bronson Mosley enters the picture.</p><p>Mosley, who works in a local bar/restaurant, said Critchley came in one night and they began talking and Mosley mentioned his zombie project.</p><p>“He said he had this great place that allegedly is the scariest place in Ocala,” Mosley said. “He offered it to me. That's how it went down.”</p><p>Mosley, who grew up in Ocala, said he was familiar with the house. He said he understood that a mother and daughter had been murdered in the dwelling and their ghosts walked the house.</p><p>“Doing a horror scene there is kind of 'ugh,' ” Mosley said.</p><p>Nevertheless, that is exactly what he did. On Sunday, he began rolling film for the movie “What Tomorrow Brings” at the house. It is Mosley's second zombie film. The first was “Only Another Day,” which premiered at the Marion Theatre in Ocala's downtown. He is hoping to premiere this latest venture there as well.</p><p>Carmen Soto, who owns the theater with her husband, Cesar, said she would have to know what dates Mosley would like to premiere his film. If it does not conflict with her theater's calendar, it is something she definitely would consider.</p><p>“They don't have a venue as nice as the Marion Theatre to premiere in Marion County,” Soto said about local filmmakers. “We have had a few of them already.”</p><p>In the meantime, Critchley said he has arranged for the lawn to be cut this week.</p><p>The house has great historic value, having been built in 1885. It contributes to the Tuscawilla Historic District, which once encompassed a community of noted Jewish merchants and businessmen who became active in local and state politics.</p><p>According to city of Ocala records, in September 1886, local grocer Israel Brown purchased the lot with the house already constructed on it. Brown lived there with his wife Gertie, a relative of Julius Israel, until 1899, when he sold the property to Richard Wheeler for $1,300.</p><p>Julius Israel owned the property from 1893 and 1894. Israel came to Ocala from Philadelphia in 1881 and established the Ocala News Depot, a book store, news stand and office supply outlet in the Marion Block downtown. Israel was elected to the Ocala City Council in 1886 and three years later served as a director of the Ocala International and Semi-Tropical Exposition. During the mid-1880s, he was vice president of the United Hebrews of Ocala.</p>